India-China direct flights to resume? Talks are currently underway
What's the story
India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will discuss the resumption of direct flights between India and China during his two-day visit to Beijing, which commenced today.
The talks are part of ongoing efforts to improve bilateral relations and will span political, economic, and people-to-people domains.
Notably, regular passenger flights between the two nations have remained suspended since early 2020.
Traffic decline
Impact of suspended direct flights on passenger traffic
The suspension of direct flights has severely impacted passenger traffic between India and China.
In 2024, just 4.6 lakh travelers moved between the two countries, a steep drop from nearly 10 lakh in 2019.
Direct flights used to make up for 46% of this traffic.
The absence of direct connectivity has compelled travelers to rely on connecting hubs in South and Southeast Asia instead.
New hubs
Singapore emerges as major hub amid flight suspension
With the flight suspension, Singapore has become a major connecting point, with more than 98,000 travelers using it as a transit point in the first 10 months of 2024.
This is a 16.6% increase from 2019 levels.
Other countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam have also witnessed increased passenger traffic as they serve as connecting points between India and China.
Potential beneficiaries
Resumption of direct flights could benefit Chinese airlines
The resumption of direct flights between India and China could also benefit Chinese airlines, given their dominant market share before the pandemic.
The development comes as part of broader efforts to improve bilateral ties after recent tensions over border disputes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had met in October 2024 to discuss the issues and agreed on measures such as resuming patrolling along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
Bilateral progress
India-China relations aim to disentangle from post-2020 complications
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has observed that India-China relations are attempting to untangle from the complexities of post-2020 border issues.
He stressed the importance of a balanced approach considering the rising global influence of both countries.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Misri's visit seeks to "discuss the next steps for India-China relations" as part of a leadership-level agreement, highlighting both countries' continued efforts to reduce tensions and improve cooperation in various fields.